STEM Chicks gets girls’ interest piqued in science

Eight Girl Scouts visited Anoka-Ramsey Community College Feb. 19 – and after 90 minutes, the girls had evolved into science and technology geeks and engineering and math aficionados.

The college’s STEM Chicks student group assisted instructors with the dissection of cows’ eyeballs and the programming of remote controlled robots. Members of Girl Scout Troop 15957 were immediately inspired and gained a deeper appreciation of science, technology, engineering and math.

Kaylee Garey and Lilah Grubb get a close look at the inside of a cow’s eyeball after Dr. Shawn Magner dissects it and describes to the Girl Scouts the biology of eyesight. (Photo by Sue Austreng, ABC Newspapers)

“I think this is pretty cool,” said Kaylee Garey as Dr. Shawn Magner dissected a cow’s eyeball and then gave the girls an up-close look at the biology within.

Shayla Plunkett was equally fascinated with the remote controlled activity of the robots.

“We just pushed a button and look what they do,” Shayla said, watching the robot move forward, pick up a plastic cup, then return in reverse to its original position.